Amid the debate on whether to prescribe cholesterol-lowering drugs to obese children, it is important to remember that we have the ability to prevent our children from becoming overweight. It will not be easy, but it can be done with lifestyle and societal changes.
This does not mean that cholesterol- lowering drugs have no benefit for certain children. But where we need to focus our efforts is in helping our children learn to eat smarter and to be more active.
Our kids are not going to adopt healthy lifestyles if their parents aren’t also adopting these lifestyles, creating opportunities to make healthy food choices and to be physically active. While more than two-thirds of U.S. adults are already overweight or obese, most children (70 percent) are not. Therefore, preventing these children from becoming obese should be a priority.
We may not need to change things that much. Research from the America On the Move program at the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine shows that cutting about 100 calories per day from diets while adding 2,000 steps (about 1 mile) to daily movement can stop children (and parents) from gaining excessive weight and significantly improve their body mass indexes.
The bad news is that the environments we have created do not make it easy to adopt healthy lifestyles. In addition to a food supply that is high in sugar and fat and out-of-control portion sizes, our communities are built to make it easier to drive our car and harder to walk and ride our bikes. We must be sure everyone has the opportunities and incentives to make the necessary small lifestyle changes required to reduce obesity.
So, the solution is not just prescription drugs. We need sidewalks and parks, and we need to use them. We need parental role models. We need to help people make smarter food choices at home and when eating out.
Although Colorado is the leanest state and has been for many years, the number of people who are overweight or obese increases each year. Part of the mission of the future Health and Wellness Center at the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora is to reverse that trend.
Positive changes are already happening in Colorado. Schools are providing more nutritious foods and opportunities for physical activity, and many worksites are adopting wellness programs.
We must deal with childhood obesity on three fronts, by:
• Keeping the majority of kids who aren’t obese from becoming so;
• Stopping the weight gain of already heavy children; and
• Helping obese children lose weight.
The future Health & Wellness Center at CU is committed to making Colorado the first state to lower obesity rates. It will require a sustained effort on all of our parts. We need to celebrate our small successes and be creative in ways to produce new ones. We have to stay the course, because the consequences of doing nothing are severe.
Colorado, what future do we want to provide our children? One where more children will take medication for chronic disease, or one where our children are able to enjoy what Colorado has to offer? I challenge everyone, from families to community leaders, to consider the future we want for our children.
James O. Hill is professor of Pediatrics and director of the Center for Human Nutrition at the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine.
